March 23 - March 30, 2019

In March of 2019, Nancy and I made a one-week trip to Panama staying at just one lodge, the Canopy Tower. We had been to Panama and Canopy Tower once before on a Ventures Birding Tour in March of 2012 (click here).

This trip was different from our normal bird adventures as we went on our own. Nancy booked the package at Canopy Tower and other logistics for the trip and we used the Canopy Tower guides.

Our flight arrived too late for transportation to Canopy Tower so Nancy booked one night at the Santa Maria Hotel & Golf Resort near the airport. The Santa Maria was a new and beautiful hotel and I was amazed at the low price for such a luxurious room. The next morning, Sunday, we had transportation to Canopy Tower.

(Click on maps to enlarge)

The Canopy Tower is rather hard to visualize. It is located about 30-minutes northwest of Panama City, 7 miles south of the village of Gamboa. The tower is a decommissioned US Military radar tower turned into a birding eco-lodge. The tower has a lobby (loosely speaking) on the first floor, two floors of guest rooms, dining area on the fourth floor, and a viewing area above, around the radar dome. This viewing area is the big draw for birders as it is above treetop level for unique bird viewing. Canopy Tower is also located very near many primo birding hotspots.

Our daily routine was one birding excursion in the morning and another in the afternoon. We generally left the tower between 6:00 and 7:00am and returned around lunchtime. Afternoon excursions left the tower at 3:00pm and returned before dark (about 6:00pm). Dinner every night was at the tower.

All the bird walks were included in our package and led by a Canopy Tower guide. Four of the five days we were led by Jorge Pineda, who proved to be an excellent birder and guide. We were paired with two other couples, from Montana and Wales, who were also lodge guests. We were very compatible and enjoyed their company tremendously.

From a birding standpoint, a few trips proved unusual:

•  On both Monday walks we came across a swarm of army ants that attract large numbers of antbirds, tanagers, and woodcreepers. The birds do not eat the ants but rather they feast on the insects fleeing the ant swarm as it travels along.

•  The Summit Garden excursion on Tuesday was amazing birding. This is a very beautiful public park. As we were walking around an astonishing number of birds came out for our viewing.

•  On Wednesday, March 27th, I enjoyed an all day (6:30am – 4:00pm) excursion along Pipeline Road, a forest service road that actually follows an oil pipeline. The pipeline and road were constructed during WWII as an alternative oil route in case the Panama Canal was sabotaged. There was never any closing of the Canal during the WWII and the pipeline was never used but it left behind a great long path through the Panamanian forest perfect for subtropical birding.

Photo Galleries  -  (click on image to view album)